AN ILLUMINATED QUR'AN COPIED BY MUHAMMAD HOSSEIN AL-LAHORI
PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTOR
Kashmir or Northern India, mid to late 18th century

Arabic manuscript on paper, 289ff. plus three later fly-leaves, each folio with 15ll. of black ink naskh script, the opening bifolio illuminated in blue and gold, sura headings in red, catchwords, aya markings in gold rosettes, vocalisations and marginal notes in red, with illuminated roundels in the margins, in blue, gold, and black rules, gold scrolls in the outer border, in fine lacquered binding, the exterior with a red lobed central cartouche with birds and flowers on each side, the border with Qur'anic naskh calligraphy, all against a black ground, the binding interiors each with a central stylised cypress flanked by scrolling flowers, with brown calf spine, the text panel 12.5cm x 6.5cm, the folio 18.5cm x 11cm.